"When the next night comes around, at the third hour of Early Hour, I will be gathering the selected Cultivators and relevant forces for this expedition."
"This will be your first gathering with other Cultivators of Union Settlement, many of which will be First Foundation Cultivators, and few of the Third Foundation."
"The details regarding groups and roles will be delivered then, but I am here to assure you that both you Juniors will not be separated, and assigned fitting roles within the same group."
Dawn and Sun nodded; they expected the expedition to be deployed around Selene's meeting with Immortal Adamant.
They were joyous about not being further separated during this ordeal, too.
Sun was the first to raise a question.
"Lord Immortal Union, what time exactly will we be deployed?"
"Three nights after the initial gathering, so four nights from now."
Four nights. It may not seem like a lot of time, but every minute is valuable to cultivation.
These four nights will allow Dawn and Sun to continue refreshing their skills.
Most of their time went to cultivating toward the Third Foundation and practising Dao Arts, respectively.
Being powerful is desireable, but without the proper skill to use these abilities is detrimental to one's overall battle strength.
The little time they spent sparring against one another wasn't enough to truly reawaken their skills; another four nights might not be enough either, but it would still be beneficial to exploit every moment.
Immortal Union continued.
"This ordeal, fortunately, is not a big concern. Beasts, both mundane and mystical, will be the majority of the party."
"The number of Foundation Cultivators will not be large, but with the presence of Spirits likely encroaching Union Settlement's subsidiary Mortal Settlements, two State Cultivators will be joining the expidition."
"Still, the beasts are rampaging in large numbers, so they deserve the most attention. The only concern regarding these beasts is the effects the remnant mist had on their mental states."
A cold shiver raked down Sun's spine at the mention of mist.
"Lord Immortal Union, has there been any new information regarding those... Demons?"
Immortal Union shakes his head with a sigh.
"No, nothing significant."
"The destruction caused by the Demon of Calamity was wholly quelled, and the remnant mist left behind by the Demon of Confusion has waned due to the efforts of Immortal Sage and Immortal Druid; the environment surrounding the site was mended too."
"Only the living beings that were forced out of the area remain afflicted with mist, but there is little we can do to fix them."
Another shiver raked down Sun's spine, more memories about the mist and its terrifying affliction on the refugees of Star Gazing Settlement.
Dawn, however, had a questioning expression.
"Lord Immortal Union, when we, the people of Star Gazing Settlement, were submerged in the mist, most of our people were reduced to mist and scattered in the wind."
"The mist has evidently effected the beasts, impairing their mental states and causing them to rampage."
"Since the beasts driven out of their natural habitats were afflicted by the mist, would they not succumb to it as well?"
Immortal Union pondered.
"We suspect that the fatal effects of the mist must overcome one's Way."
"A human's Way is profound and defined, but its presence can be easily overcome, except for Cultivators who refine their Way."
"A beast's Way is simple and animalistic, but not so easily disturbed as a human's Way."
"Think of it like this, does a beast understand morality the way a human does? What makes a domesticated beast different from a wild beast?"
"A beast's Way is simple, but due to its limited mentality, it is also resilient, or rather fixed in one direction."
Dawn and Sun came to an understanding.
That was the importance of one's Way, and how prevalent its role is when protecting a Cultivator, especially regarding the Third Foundation.
Dawn uses her Way to protect herself when immersing herself in the world.
It was also used to defend against the mist, which explains why Dawn, Sun, Selene, and the guards were the majority of the survivors.
They were all Cultivators.
It also gave a new perspective on one's Way.
Cultivators refine their Way as they ascend the Foundations and States of cultivation.
They solidify their beliefs, unwavering against predicaments.
It's like building a strong foundation that a natural disaster can not destroy.
A beast's 'Way' is inherently simple; it is not so sophisticated as a human's Way. That also makes it difficult to 'break'.
A confused human experiences a myriad of emotions, dilemmas, and predicaments which may change their heart.
While a confused beast may experience a myriad hardships and emotions, they will always be a beast.
Immortal Union continued to explain the other possible explanations behind the mist's effect on the beasts.
It may depend on the amount of time a beast spends in the mist.
Otherwise, it may depend on the concentration of mist, so that thinner mist may not have such a significant effect.
He continued until he felt a faint tickle in her ear, or rather, his mind.
Immortal Union paused for a moment, listening, before relaying to Dawn and Sun.
"We shall continue this discussion later. Immortal Adamant has finished her discussion with Junior Selene."
"I will be heading up there to see them off. Do you two wish to join me?"
Dawn and Sun gladly accepted his invitation.
Immortal Union conjured a cloud beneath his feet to lift Dawn and Sun with him.
As they stepped onto the fluffy mass, they rose up the slope.
Towards the peak of the mountain.
...
Immortal Adamant retrieved her divine sense and voice.
"I have notified them, they will be here in only a moment."
Selene nodded as she stood up and bowed.
"I look forward to your guidance, Lord Immortal Adamant."
"Please, I am grateful that you accepted. Junior Edifice needed a sister to accompany her, I do not want her to face these challenges alone."
"I understand."
As Immortal Adamant walked outside with Selene, the starlit sky welcomed them with bright, pale light.
Just a few steps ahead of them, Immortal Union had just touched down in front of them, carrying Dawn and Sun with it.
"Selene."
"Selene!"
They called out. Before they ran ahead, they caught themselves and bowed, greeting Immortal Adamant. She politely waved them off.
"It is fine, Juniors. Have your moment."
Dawn and Sun thanked gratefully before meeting up with Selene.
"I never thought I'd see the day you become an Immortal Seed, Selene."
"Not very supportive, I see."
"Could you blame me?"
Sun laughed heartily. Selene shook her head at Sun's tease.
"I won't forget about this, Sun. Next time I see you, it will be a sight you would've never imagined possible."
"Is that so? Hahaha! Don't think I will be left behind so easily."
Dawn smiled as she spoke up.
"I never expected you two to become rivals. Truly, times have changed."
"Yeah... We've come a long way."
Everything that has happened, the fall of Star Gazing Settlement, the Demon's slaughtering, it all felt like whispers from the past.
Even if everything was buried or forgotten, they never let go of it all. They continued to fight for something.
For her father. For his people. For herself.
"I will be sure to send a letter to keep you two updated. Don't forget to write back."
"We won't. I don't know how often we can write to each other, considering how busy we'd be..."
"Here, why don't you take this as a keepsake?"
Dawn handed Selene a silver hairpiece, It looked like a lotus flower and its stem, a hairpin that likely belonged to a collection.
It bore the lotus symbol that Dawn's hairpiece had.
"Just so you don't forget us, make sure you wear this all the time!"
"Thank you, Dawn... I'll treasure this."
Sun coughed as he looked away sheepishly.
"I... uh... don't have anything like that on me."
"It's fine, I'll just keep the 'favourable' memories of you in my mind."
"Favourable...? All memories of me should be favourable."
They all shared a laugh. They joked. They reminisced.
But their conversation was still fleeting.
The gentle starlight was already beginning to dim.
Selene expression gradually fell solemn, she never expected to be so overwhelmed by emotions. She couldn't help it, it wasn't the lonliness that plagued her heart, but the fear of losing her friends.
She didn't lose much during the fall of Star Gazing Settlement, it wasn't like she had much to lose.
Dawn? Sun?
They were the only things she had left.
Uncharacteristically, Selene grabbed the two by the waist, bringing them in for an endearing embrace.
Shocked by her sudden affection, they did not refuse, wrapping their arms around her.
No words needed to be said.
The dimming light. The falling hour, nearing the end of night. The high horizon.
It was their final moment, only meant to be enjoyed.
"I'll see you guys later..."
"We'll be waiting here for you, Selene."
Immortal Adamant received Selene, conjuring a massive cloud beneath her feet.
Selene waved them off.
Dawn and Sun waved back, watching her figure raise higher, further, eventually disappearing over the horizon.
"I will send you Juniors back to your Spirit Spring, please rest, the next night's gathering will be intensive."
Immortal Union returned them to their Spirit Spring, before leaving back to his monastery.
Dawn and Sun had nothing else to do.
They prepared to rest with the waning light.
...